Umehito Nekozawa & Renge Houshakuji: Ten Enounters
by Cal reflector
Summary: The misfit is rescued by an outcast, an odd couple, but a match made in Heaven. Part V contains the epilogue and a letter from Renge to Haruhi.
1. Chapter 1

Author's Notes: For two of my favorite characters in this series. The entire story is complete, while the final section awaits the return of my beta-reader from Spain, **shatteredmidnightdreams**, to whom I owe much thanks. Also, to those who may be waiting on my other stories ("Cleansing" in particular), I promise the story is still alive and kicking.

**Umehito Nekozawa and Houshakuji Renge: Ten Encounters **

i.

It was inevitable really, with her enviable (on top of which self-appointed) position as manager in the Host Club and her higher-than-thou personality, that Houshakuji Renge would become the object of ill feelings for many of the young ladies attending Ouran High School.

And so one afternoon, the vivacious blonde found herself running through the empty hallways, rapid footsteps echoing clearly off the vaulted ceiling as she tried to escape the three girls who were fast on her heels, one of whom was armed with a pair of scissors. If one had listened to the story of the pursuers, "the shameless woman" was long past due a lesson to be put in her place.

Few times in her protected life had Renge been as afraid as she was that day, held against the wall by two of her captors in a poorly lit room that turned even darker when the one with the scissors closed the heavy wooden doors. She could see the glitter of the sharp instrument approach and hear the taunting voices of those around her. She couldn't make any noise due to the hands clasped against her mouth, and a tear broke out when she felt someone lift one of her long strands of hair.

It was at that moment that the room turned pitch black and the temperature dropped so suddenly that it could not have been of natural cause, and the voices of her captors turned from panic to terror when the spine-chilling, but strangely familiar voice drifted from right within their midst. A minute later, she found herself free, the three girls fled and their screams fading into the distant hallway. She would have run away too, had her legs not given out from the fear and sudden release from danger.

From beneath his heavy cloak and hood, her rescuer extended a timid hand to her as he apologized abashedly for relapsing into the occult diction that she worked so hard to cure before.

_Why is he apologizing?_

It didn't come within a mile of the knight-in-shining-armor scenarios that she dreamed of in her video games, but she took the offered hand.

ii.

"Gentlemen, allow me to introduce to you the latest addition to our family."

Renge's eyes widened when she saw the host club president pull him out from behind the magically appearing doors. He was without his wig and in his school uniform, but wore on top of it a heavy trench coat and pair of sunglasses to ward off the brightness in the room.

… _Not bad, even if the Matrix-look is beyond yesteryear._

"Now before you object, you must agree that, in his… uncluttered form, Nekozawa sempai more than meets the basic requirements."

"That may be the case but…" began one twin.

"… What do we do about his photophobia?" finished the other.

The self-proclaimed King of the host club shook his finger just so and chuckled confidently. "Sempai has demonstrated his determination to change before. All we have to do is finish what we started and surely this diamond in the rough will shine through. What say you?"

"If you say so, I guess…" said the twins.

"Whatever generates more revenue for the club is fine by me." said Kyouya as he scribbled away in his notepad.

"Waai! Welcome, Neko-chan!" said Honey.

"… Mhmm." said Mori.

Satisfied with the consensus, Tamaki turned to the manager with a twinkle in his eyes. "Renge, I'll leave him in your hands, teach him well."

iii.

"I think it's about time we figured out what your niche is."

The two were alone in the club room late after school, with the curtains parted slightly to allow some daylight from the waning orange sun to enter. It had become a pattern for them—on days when there were no club activities—to practice by themselves in order to help Nekozawa overcome his fear of light and become a more sociable person as well. To that end, Renge was trainer, teacher, and practice partner all in one.

Nekozawa scratched the back of his head before responding hesitantly. "But all I am familiar with are the occult, the supernatural, the dark arts, vampire lore…"

In the place of a light bulb, a high-powered motor kicked into gear in Renge's mind. "Wait, did you say vampire?"

"Why yes. In fact, I've read in the family tome that the Nekozawa blood line leads back to former Austria-Hungary, branched from a clan associated with Dracula's own…"

"Well why didn't you say so earlier? Don't you know that young women have fantasized about vampire romances for ages?"

"They… they have?"

"Of course we have! Before emo-boys were in, even before yaoi hit the mainstream, there were vampires, phantoms of the night whom damsels dream of being swept away by to eternal romance. It is _only_ one of the most enduring fetishes that women have, you know."

"I… see."

"So, why don't we give it a try? Pretend I'm the maiden and you're the young count who has fallen for my beauty and come to take me away."

"I'll… I'll try my best."

And she believed him; Renge saw how hard he'd worked in the past weeks, she knew how much he tried not to disappoint her, and when he said he'd try his best, he would.

What she didn't expect was to find herself swept off her feet, an unexpectedly firm arm wrapped gently around her waist, and staring into the bluest irises that she'd never taken time to pay attention to. His face was so close she could feel the wispy ends of his hair tickle her cheeks. The words he breathed into her ear sent shivers down her spine, but not from fear; blinking and breathing became afterthoughts.

By the time she regained her faculties of thought, she was back on her feet, and Nekozawa was apologizing profusely again for… something.

He may have been blushing, but the poor lighting made it hard to see, which was good, because she couldn't be sure that her own face hadn't turned red… especially with how fast her pulse had become.

iv.

Valentine's Day arrived a little more than a month after Nekozawa's induction into the host club, not that the occasion ever played a part in the lonely third year's life. This year, it only served as a reminder of how little progress he had made: he still had not made his host club debut, nor could he shed his hooded robe for more than thirty minutes in a regularly lit environment before passing out into an unseemly pile on the floor.

But the worst feeling came from the thought of letting down Renge, who was no doubt disappointed in him. After all, the last time—and only time—they role played resulted in his teacher becoming so upset that she was unable to speak for a full minute afterwards, only to leave him with a brusquely pronounced "That's all for today" before turning and making her exit hastily.

As he walked down the hallway to his next class, he passed by several chocolate-toting girls in the hallway. Following them out of the corner of his eye, he saw the cheerful group make a beeline for two of his fellow host club members and classmates, Honinozuka Mitsukini and Morinozuka Takashi. Leaving behind the high-pitched sounds of delight which ensued, Nekozawa returned his vision to the marble-tiled floor below and walked away. It was a sight he'd become familiar with; innumerable girls approaching their favorite host club members throughout the day, bearing rare and expensive or hand-made candies that they'd put their hearts into making.

He on the other hand had never even received an obligatory chocolate up till this day in his life… which was fine, as long as he had the darkness to embrace him and Kirimi by his side.

_But maybe, just once…_

There was still time when he entered the classroom, but just as he was about to open his book bag, a classmate several seats away waved for his attention. "Hey, there's someone here to see you."

Straightening out his robe, Nekozawa stood and walked to doorway, where he found Renge waiting outside. He cringed as she glanced over his signature attire with a look of annoyance.

"Face me properly when I'm speaking to you."

He complied, pushing back his hood and removing his wig, after which she thrust a small silver-wrapped box out at him.

Eyes wide at the elegant package in his hands, Nekozawa looked up, confused. "Renge-san, is this…?"

The host club manager, standing in her usual pose with her hands at the side of her waist, spoke with a hint of impatience. "Valentines Day's chocolates; obligatory, mind you, since I am the manger of the host club."

But one would not have known that it was merely obligatory from the way he smiled, so happy to have received a gift on Valentines Day, and so in spite of her previous resolve not to, Renge began to smile as well.

They were, after all, the only obligatory chocolates she gave out that day.


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Notes:** Thanks to those who reviewed this unusual story for an unusual pairing. It's not easy writing for a non-mainstream couple, but that only makes the feedback that much more encouraging. Thank you. Once more, Ouran Host Club does not belong to me.

**Umehito Nekozawa and Houshakuji Renge: Ten Encounters**

v.

"Nekozawa-semapi, what sort of hobbies do you have?"

"I uh, enjoy classical music and taking long walks at night…"

Renge observed the proceedings from a short distance away, hiding herself behind a corner. Today was the day that Nekozawa made his debut as a full-fledged host. Things had gone off to a good start; when the club opened for business that afternoon, the young ladies noticed and immediately began to inquire after "the other tall handsome blonde."

Oh, the looks on their faces when she told them.

She caught her breath when Nekozawa came close to uttering a black-listed word, then heaved a sigh of relief when he recovered. It was like a mother watching her nervous child perform on stage for the first time in his life, and she remembered how they had rehearsed together, practicing his lines and perfecting his character; it was a mixed feeling of hope and anxiety.

The analogy was incomplete however, because in the place of parental pride was an inexplicable sense of gloom, for up until now Nekozawa-sempai's true form had been the best-kept secret in Ouran High, the witness of which was a privilege exclusive to her and the rest of the host club. Now, as she watched him win the favor of his first patrons ever, recollections of the past weeks in which she had been the only person he felt comfortable talking with returned with nostalgia and a trace of loneliness.

… _But that's ridiculous; did I not help him so that he could become more sociable?_

Fate intervened at that moment, and her confused thoughts were mercifully interrupted by the arrival of Kirimi, whose lips began to quiver as soon as she saw the number of girls surrounding her prince-like onii-chama. A bawling was avoided when Nekozawa quickly scooped her into his arms and sat her in his lap, where Kirimi's tears quickly turned into smiles as she clung possessively to her brother, who apologized shyly for the interruption and inconvenience to his patrons.

But of course the girls drank it all in, their hearts melting as Nekozawa became even more desirable in their eyes. One young lady asked (a little too hopefully) whether the siblings were in fact not blood related, much to the bewilderment of Nekozawa and the slight disturbance of Renge, who knew all too well what was passing through the fan girl's mind.

"Things are working out unexpectedly well, wouldn't you say?"

Startled by the sudden appearance of Kyouya beside her, Renge crossed her arms before responding. "He's doing passably well, but still has a long way to go. I will continue to work with him."

The Shadow King was famous for being uncannily observant, and the few extra seconds that Kyouya's gaze lingered on her made Renge feel as if she had been caught hiding something. "… I see. Well, do as you like then."

vi.

It started with Kyouya mentioning that he had heard of a commoner tradition called the natsu matsuri, or summer festival, a carnival-like event that the less than grossly-wealthy attended for an evening of food, games, and fun. It didn't take long for Tamaki to become convinced that to not attend a quintessential commoner event like a matsuri would be contrary to the club's egalitarian spirit, and that the host club should organize an outing to one as soon as possible.

So off they went one night, the hosts and their entourage, after a late afternoon shower had cooled down the air considerably, to a close by temple twenty minutes away by foot. There was much merriment: the Twins ransacked the game booths, Tamaki trailed after Haruhi's yukata all night while attempting to spoil her rotten, Honey discovered the miracle called cotton candy, and Mori helped hold said cotton candy. As for Kyouya, he sampled the food and took notes, taking a break now and then to win cute things for the girls who, in addition to the novelty of wearing yukatas, were ecstatic at the opportunity to see the hosts in traditional Japanese summer wear.

As for Renge, she spent the evening tagging along and drifting from one small group to another, but never finding her niche amongst any crowd. As manager, she wasn't free to flirt with the hosts like a regular girl, and as a non-host club member, she was a side character around whom no band of admirers would gather. Unlike the boys, she wasn't missed if she were not around, because that's what the manager of a female-oriented club was; a wallflower that showed up now and then but really wasn't necessary to anyone.

So towards the end of festival, she found herself standing a little ways away from the center of light and activity, leaning back against a tree and wondering, really, why she had come in the first place.

"Renge-san!" Nekozawa came to a stop before her, slightly short of breath and a small smile on his face. "Where have you been? I haven't seen you all evening."

The third-year was dressed in a yukata dyed a beautiful tone of blue, the long flowing material complementing his lengthy stature, and Renge felt inexplicably compelled to lower her gaze before she answered. "I've been around, here and there."

"Well, everyone started to head back already, but I didn't see you anywhere so…"

"… You came to look for me?"

He nodded. "It isn't far back to school, but a girl walking alone at night is a little… so, shall we?"

She hadn't realized that it was so late already. Most of the crowd had dissipated, and some of the stands had begun takedown. She watched as he stopped to purchase a candy apple from a departing vendor, the sight of him holding the large red confection making her chuckle. "A midnight snack for later?"

"A souvenir for Kirimi." And the smile that filled his face was so warm it was infectious.

They walked slowly through the quiet streets towards the school dormitories where she lived as the sounds of the cicadas emanated from nearby trees, and Renge wondered how they appeared to bystanders, a boy and a girl, both with foreign colored hair, walking down the streets alone at night, with yukatas that shared color affinity—his blue, hers purple… a train of thought which she quashed quickly, because no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't think of Nekozawa-sempai that way. He simply had no place, didn't belong, in those fantasy scenarios that she liked to entertain. He was too shy, too bizarre, and what stereotype combined the loving brother with the darkness-embracing recluse?

At that moment, a sharp pain in her feet caused her to nearly stumble, and when she knelt down she saw that the straps of her sandals—footwear she was unaccustomed to—had irritated and bitten through a bit of skin in between her toes.

"Renge-san, are you alright?" Kneeling down before her, a look of dismay appeared on Nekozawa's when he removed her sandal and saw the injury. "You've bled a little."

The way he held her foot tickled and made her feel funny inside. "I'm okay; it doesn't hurt much or anything…" But she belied her own statement when she winced while trying to slip the sandal back on.

The next thing she knew, he had turned and offered his back to her. She became flustered, replied that it was unnecessary, that it wasn't that far from school, that she could make it somehow and that most importantly, she hadn't been given a piggy back ride in more than ten years. But though she asked and cajoled and threatened him with the Evil Death Ray (a sunlamp) when they got back, Nekozawa only shook his head furiously and refused to get up.

Renge never knew that he could be so stubborn.

A minute later, she found herself pressed against his back, bare feet dangling and hands on his shoulders as he carried her effortlessly, the funny feeling in the pit of her stomach more intense and harder to ignore than before.

_Stop it, Renge, snap out of it._ Yet it was difficult to do so, especially when the tingly feeling was now mixed with a slew of others; of gratitude, of safety, of belonging and wishing that he'd walk slower so it'd all last a little longer…

"I umm… I never had a chance to thank you, Renge-san." They had entered school property, a vast garden filled with natural vegetation through which a bubbling creek ran. "If not for you, I wouldn't be where I am today, with Kirimi and the others."

"Oh, it was nothing. I was just doing my job as manager…" _Liar_. "I'm glad to see that you're now able to handle your share of customers now." She just kept from biting her lower lip; her last words containing so little truth she didn't believe them herself.

He laughed uneasily. "Yes, but I'm still no good, because I still have the most fun when I'm with you."

Her heart skipped a beat. _Oh no._

"It's difficult hosting, since I have to act when I'm with everyone else…"

_Stop right there._

"But with Renge-san it's different…"

The tingles in her stomach had grown to a tremor. _If you don't stop, I'll… I'll…_

"Which is why I'm glad I… oh, look."

She looked over his shoulders, and all around them, countless beads of pale green light had appeared. He set her down, and for a minute or two they admired the breathtaking scene in silence until Nekozawa brought his hands before her and opened them to reveal the glowing firefly within.

"… It's beautiful, isn't it?"

And it was all she could do to nod in response, for at that moment she realized, against all her misgivings and excuses and rationalizations on why it couldn't possibly be, that she had fallen in love with the awkward and beautiful man in front of her.


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Notes:** My thanks to those who have taken the time to read and/or reviewed this story. It is my hope that this piece might spark people's imaginations about the series and the couple featured here (alas, we are all shippers in the end).

**Umehito Nekozawa and Houshakuji Renge: Ten Encounters**

vii.

The rain continued to pour well into the afternoon, adding humidity to the already stifling heat. It was on such a day that Renge found in the mailbox outside her dorm suite a letter from France, one she had expected long ago.

She came to Ouran to chase a fairytale, and finding none she tried to create one. After that, with no particular incentive to return, she stayed to watch—sometimes help—the host club make fantasies come true for other people.

It had been like a dream, but as the paper bearing the short but clear message reminded her, it was time to wake up.

viii.

"… And so, as per my father's request, I will be returning to Paris."

It was raining one week later when Renge broke the news to the club, and though it was still early in the afternoon, the room was shrouded in a shade of gray from the sunless sky outside. The announcement was brief, and the club members in the room sat silently as each digested the news in their own way.

"But why can't you just transfer permanently to Ouran? We have plenty of students here who have done so." Tamaki asked, the first to speak up.

Renge kept her hands folded formally before her. "I came in the middle of a school term, which is highly irregular… besides which all of my family and their future plans for me are in France."

The club room returned to silence after that until Kyouya, notepad in hand and pen in the other, spoke. "Nevertheless, it would have been nice to hear about this earlier, instead of the day before your flight."

"We don't even have time to give you a farewell party!" blurted out Honey, who was holding back tears.

And Renge was able to smile a little when she saw the baby-faced third year wipe his eyes furiously. "I didn't want anyone to go to any more trouble for me. The club has been busy, particularly with the new customers being brought in."

"Speaking of that… whose going to train him after you leave?" asked Kaoru.

"Nekozawa-sempai has made remarkable progress in hosting and general social skills." She drew a silent, steadying breath before she uttered the next words. "He should continue to improve even on his own, without me."

At that moment, the dull sound of something hitting the floor turned the club members around, and they saw Nekozawa standing at the doorway, his book bag on the ground and the blank look on his face stabbing the manager painfully in the chest.

"… Well, I still have packing to do, so I'll excuse myself now. The time was short, but I'm glad to have met you all." And with that Renge left, her head kept low and her pace brisk as she brushed by Nekozawa, never once looking up at the stunned third-year, who didn't react until the echoes of her footsteps were disappearing down the hallway.

Her hands clenched against the front of her dress when she heard the sound of his rapid strides catch up from behind. Then they both stopped, ten paces apart in the middle of the hallway that was quiet but for the sound of his heavy breathing and the beating of the rain against the window panes that reached from floor to ceiling.

In a voice dry from catching his breath, he only asked one word. "Why?"

And she felt her resolve waver at the confusion in his voice. _Why are you leaving? Why are you abandoning me?_ She bit her lip, and blinked back the tears that she wouldn't let out until later when she got back to her room and locked the door, and she turned around and smiled her best smile for him.

"Because you don't need me anymore."

ix.

The host club was in session the next day, but instead of the usual ambiance of hushed laughter and soft chatter, a quiet taut with tension filled the air, and at the center of that tension was Umehito Nekozawa, seated in a tall-backed chair, his body bent forward so that his hair obscured his face and whatever struggles that took place underneath. All around him, fellow hosts and their patrons waited as the minutes and seconds ticked away audibly on an antique timepiece. Honey clasped his hands as if in prayer, and aware of the graveness of the situation, the twins stayed silent as they too looked upon the brooding third-year.

"Sempai…" Haruhi approached him with a look of concern. "Are you alright with this?"

Nekozawa remained seated in his rigid posture. "… Of course, like Renge-san said, her family and life is back in France. It is only fitting that she returns to where her most important things are." And though he spoke the words plainly, Haruhi saw that his hands were wrung so tight that his knuckles had turned pale.

At that point, Nekozawa noticed a shadow fall over the floor beneath his feet, and looked up just in time for Tamaki's karate chop to land right between his brows.

"You idiot!" And the third year cowered a little as he held the sore spot on his head, the man in front of him looking as if he was about to hit him again. "Haven't you realized why she gave us such short notice of her leaving? Why she came to the host club early yesterday to tell everyone but you? It's because the hardest thing about leaving here… was leaving you!"

And Nekozawa's eyes grew wide as Tamaki's words hit him like a hammer. "Renge-san… me? I never…"

"You never knew because you never dared to find out, and if you don't do something quick in the next forty-five minutes, you may never find out. So what will it be? Sit here and let her walk away, or go after the one thing which you've been too afraid to hope for all your life?"

"I… I…" His hands trembled with the tumult of emotions inside until he felt a solid hand on his shoulder, and looking up he saw the stoic face of Mori above him, who did not speak, but looked hard into Nekozawa's eyes and nodded just once, conveying in that single gesture all he needed to say.

_Go._

And the trembling stopped, and as he stood he vaguely recalled that only two times in his life had he felt the way he felt now: when he held that flashlight to his face with his finger on the switch, and just before he crashed through that second story window; determined to change himself the first time and in order to race to a loved one the second time.

This time it was both.

"Forgive me, but I need to go see about a girl."


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Notes: **Sorry to have made you wait so long; ff upload system has been giving me trouble. On a side note, this section was complete long before the latest terrorist plots, and thus reflects no social commentary of the author's. A final thanks to all those who have read and reviewed this story, an epilogue may follow, as I've run out of encounters to use.

x.

Renge watched the planes as they landed and took to the air from her seat by the window in the first class lounge. In her lap was the straw hat she had worn when she came to Japan and to her side was her woven parasol. Even through the thick, tinted glass she was able to see what a brilliant day it was, bright sun and blue skies as far as the eye could see. It just happened that the most beautiful day in weeks would be the day she leaves, as if Heaven above were celebrating the correctness of her decision… or mocking it.

"You look as though you've forgotten something important."

The middle-aged lady who was dressed like a Parisian smiled at her from across the table, a smile Renge returned, though it was not a smile that reached her eyes, and replied in French just as fluent. "No, I knew what I was leaving behind."

And when the voice over the speaker announced that they would soon begin boarding first class for the flight bound for Charles de Gaulle International, Renge retrieved her things and walked away, resisting the temptation to turn around and scan the crowd one last time for the face she knew wouldn't be there.

-----

"Can't you make this thing go any faster?" yelled Tamaki over the deafening noise of the propeller overhead.

"I told you sir, this is a civilian aircraft, not an attack helicopter! And besides…" The pilot jerked his thumb back out towards the cabinet, where in addition to the seven other host club members there were no less than two dozen squirming girls who had squeezed themselves into the VIP configured layout. "With this many people, we're definitely pushing the weight limit!"

"Hey Tono!" Tamaki turned around to see Hikaru tapping on his shoulder. "If we open this door right here, we can throw some people out and lose some weight!"

"We'll be flying over a lake soon. I think it'll be okay!" yelled Kaoru, who had his hands on the handle bar.

Tamaki was not amused. "That's a wonderful idea, maybe you can help us all by throwing yourselves out!"

And that moment the King felt his cell phone begin to vibrate, which he withdrew and pressed to his face. "What? Oh hello father! What? Yes… I was the one who borrowed the school helicopter … What? Of course it's an emergency… What was that? You'll have to speak up a little… Yes, yes I'll return it! But next time, buy a faster one for goodness sake, like an Apache or whatever they're called! What now, you're unhappy? Hello? I can't hear you father, you're breaking up! I'll talk to you later, tootles!"

Haruhi could not but help but become even more worried after overhearing the entire conversation which, in spite of the noise, she caught every word of, as Tamaki had been yelling into the phone while standing but a foot away from her.

"Don't worry." said Kyouya, who was seated next to her in the front row seat, a black briefcase in his lap. "In a sense it is his family's helicopter anyways, plus he's gotten away with far greater… mischief than this."

_Mischief, he says._ And Haruhi didn't want to know what other, greater "mischief" Tamaki had under his record, though she had experienced first hand what he was capable of. "There's less than ten minutes until Renge's flight time… we're not going to make it!"

"Oh we're going to make it." And Kyouya's trademark smile was so perfect that Haruhi experienced heartfelt pity for whoever might be on the receiving end of it.

-----

"… We apologize for the short delay due to the late arrival of the foie gras and champagne, and once again thank you for your patience. This flight, destined for Paris, France, will be taking off shortly… flight attendants to your stations."

Renge shut the blinds on her window, the scenery outside so bright that it hurt her eyes to look at them. She wanted nothing more than to drink her cup of apricot juice and sleep the entire trip, because it didn't hurt as much when she was asleep. So as the sound of the engines up grew louder and the plane began to move forward, she closed her eyes and curled up in her lie-down seat, and thought of obligatory chocolates, shy blue eyes, and fireflies.

But her reminiscence was disrupted when the plane came suddenly to a stop and the engines died down, and it was even more annoying when the intercom came to life again with another captain's announcement, no doubt over forgotten caviar, or truffles, or cheese.

"Ladies and gentlemen we've come to a temporary halt because a large helicopter has landed in front us and is blocking the runway. We're working with control tower to sort things out at the moment, so please bear with us…"

Her brows furrowed. _What was with air travel these days?_ Supremely annoyed, she considered chartering a private jet the next time she had to travel… until she heard the sound of vehicles arriving and the dull sounds of impact coming from outside.

So she sat up and opened the blinds, and she couldn't believe her eyes, because the tall figure seated at the wheel of an airport passenger-boarding-step-mobile couldn't be Mori-sempai, and that little blonde blur that whirled around flooring what looked like airport security couldn't possibly be Honey-sempai.

"Renge! Renge!"

… And the handsome, panic-faced young man who just came through the door calling her name couldn't have been the one she secretly wished to see just one last time. She placed her hands over her mouth, as if the very utterance of his name would make everything vanish and wake her from this dream.

"Nekozawa-sempai…?"

Though it was little more than a whisper, he heard her, and then he saw her, and the cabinet grew quiet as the rest of the host club and the Ouran girls crowded in behind him.

"Renge-san, I…" He was sweating, and Renge held her breath. "I… I… you… I lu… I…"

Somewhere in the background, the sound of a flight safety pamphlet hitting the ground was heard, and the third year's fidgeting ended. "I… I've got a lot of things to say to you!"

As everyone looked on in stunned silence, Nekozawa produced the Beelzenef puppet, holding it up as he continued. "See this? You thought I'd gotten rid of it, yes? Well the truth is I've kept it around behind your back, and every now and then I still sleep with it under my pillow!"

Now this was too much for Renge's mind to process; surely this was not how the romantic grand finale was supposed to go. He was confessing all right, but about his lingering bad habits instead of the secret love he's harbored for her all this time.

_That is why you're here… right?_

"And that's not all! You forbade me to, but at home I still use candlelight half the time, and I sneak back to those books you said I couldn't read anymore, which if I did you said you would… you would drag me to a tanning saloon and lock me up in one of those… artificial sunbathing coffins for an hour!"

By this time, it was becoming apparent that the beads of sweat appearing on Nekozawa's forehead couldn't have been from just running up the stairs, plus he was beginning to turn pale too. "So you see? I'm still… no good after all, that's… that's why you can't leave, because I… need you. Without you I… my whole reason for becoming a host in the first place…"

He didn't finish the sentence, because at that point Umehito Nekozawa had collapsed into an unseemly pile on the floor.

"... It would seem that running outside in broad daylight is still too much for him." Kyouya commented a moment later as he pushed the bridge of his glasses up his nose.

"What with the tarmac reflecting the white-hot sunrays…" piped Hikaru.

"It must've been like jogging through the fifth circle of hell." finished Kaoru.

"… I'll get the stretcher from the helicopter." said Mori as he walked out.

Tamaki shook his head and sighed deeply. "To think, after all the trouble we went to preparing this grand stage for him..."

"Well…" Haruhi smiled. "I think it was worth it."

The King followed Haruhi's gaze and saw that Renge had Nekozawa lie down on his back and resting his head in her lap, her back blocking the view from the plane-full of spectators, and Tamaki smiled at the protectiveness he saw there.

The club president turned back to Haruhi. "What say we go help Kyouya with the damage control, before Honey-sempai causes further injuries and things get more out of hand?"

And as the host club moved away, shepherding their flock off the plane and pacifying the situation in general, Nekozawa's breathing slowly returned to normal. When he opened his eyes and saw how close she was, he closed them again and turned his face aside. "… I've done it all wrong haven't I? Made a fool out of myself, made a fool out of you…"

He felt smooth hands against his face and the touch of lace as Renge began dabbing away the sweat drops on his forehead, no sign of anger on her face. "Shhh… don't talk."

And her smile then was the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen.

He placed a hand on top of hers, holding it there with strength that surprised even himself. "What I wanted to tell you was… Renge-san, I… I've…"

"I know." Renge leaned forward slowly until her forehead rested against his, and it was like a first kiss; he closed his eyes and so did she. "… Me too."


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's Notes:** Here it is, the half-promised epilogue. Thank you all for coming along for the short ride, especially the reviewers. The next Ouran Host Club story I hope to address should focus on our King, Tamaki, and the lady Eclair; a couple which I've grown to love. When that story comes out, please do come read again.

**Umehito Nekozawa & Renge Houshakuji: Ten Enounters - Epilogue**

_Budapest, Hungary. An indeterminate, plot-convenient amount of time after the events of the last chapter_

Dearest Haruhi,

I hope this letter finds you well as usual. Your last letter about your summer job in Karuizawa sounds heavenly. You have no idea how blessed you are, situated in a quiet retreat away from the heated hustle and bustle of the cities, drunk with fresh air and the affection of the band of fine young men who've tailed you (again) to your workplace. In the passion of summer, when the fervor of youth guide so many down that tantalizing path of intimate physical discovery… Forgive me, the ink's turned a bit runny from my salivation.

Things could not have gone better with Father, who was even quicker to forgive after I introduced Nekozawa-sempai to him. It would seem that the Nekozawa family maid—you remember, Kuretake the frightful caretaker?—was not jesting after all, that the Nekozawas are indeed a famous and prosperous family with respectable lineage dating centuries back, the sort of thing a father appreciates in a prospective son-in-law.

No, he has not asked Father for my hand yet. I've decided to keep him pining and prolong this courtship a while, then prompt him (forcefully if need be; men can be slow to these things) when the time is right. He still has some kinks that I've got to work out of him. You ought to have seen his face when I half-jestingly suggested taking a vacation to Hawaii this summer, you'd have thought I just pronounced his death sentence. Instead, here we are in Budapest, visiting creepy Chateaus and shady castles. Had it not been for the room he reserved, with a balcony view over the Danube and the city, I'd have never gone along with the idea.

Before you think that we've already… we have not, and I doubt we shall in the near future. He reserved two rooms, side by side. He's such a chivalrous ninny when it comes to physical contact that he still stiffens like a log when I slip my arm through his when we go walking at night. I doubt I shall ever move him past second base at this rate, and it can be a little annoying at times, but its one of his good points as well, and there's something indescribably cute about how he blushes every time he asks me for permission to hold my hand…

Pardon me, there goes the ink again.

I miss all of you tremendously and cannot wait to rejoin you back at the Host Club. Say hello to the Twins and Mori-sempai for me, pat Honey-sempai on the head for me, kiss Kyouya-sempai for me (hey, worth a shot)… oh and Nekozawa-sempai sends his regards to Tamaki-sempai, and asks what he should bring him for a souvenir: a real witch's cauldron or an authentic upside-down cross. Boys and their toys, will they ever grow up?

I must be off now; we've reservations for a lakeside dinner and if we don't hurry we shall miss sunset. I will write again.

Loves and Kisses,

Houshakuji Renge

P.S. And in case I was not clear enough; I'm the happiest girl alive.


End file.
